P-TOWN
by Bigdogz09
Summary: Brian, Justin and the boys go to Provincetown (P-Town). Who knew Brian Kinney gave a damn!
1. Chapter 1

Brian, Justin and the gang spend a weekend in Provincetown, MA (also known as "P-Town"), one of the most famous, gay, vacation spot on the East Coast, USA. Join them in this light, frolicking, fluff of fun.

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 **CHAPTER 1: (P-Town)**

Emmett read aloud from the brochure: "Provincetown, also known as 'P-Town,' is a quaint, little village nestled on the northern tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Its normal population is three thousand, except in summer, when the population can zoom up to sixty thousand. It is a town known for its beaches, artists, tourist industry, and its status as a vacation destination of lesbians and **_GAY MEN_**!"

Emmett shouted out the last two words, which set off a chain reaction in the other four passengers that were riding along with him in the Cadillac Escalade. Ted, Michael, Ben, and Justin whooped and hollered, clapped and beat on various parts inside the SUV. As their laughter died down, Ted asked Brian, who was driving the plush, mammoth icon of American decadence, "Brian, are you starting to regret bringing us all along?"

Brian crisply replied, " _'Starting to regret it'_ , Theodore? Not at all… I've been regretting it for some time now, _way_ before we boarded our plane in Pittsburgh."

Michael and Emmett laughed out loud, while Ben playfully pounded on the back of Brian's seat, "Hey, now, if you keep saying things like that, we'll start thinking that you don't like us."

Brian quipped back at the professor, "Oh, I don't want that to happen. I might need some of you to carry my luggage."

While his friends shouted insults and questioned the legitimacy of his birth, a giggling Justin leaned over to sweetly kiss Brian on the cheek. He whispered in the older man's ear, "You're doing well. Just keep tolerating them until we check into the inn and you'll get one of my spectacular blow jobs. I promise you it will be worth the wait."

Brian smiled and quietly responded, "I might have to up the ante, Sunshine. I might just have to up it way the fuck up."

Justin nuzzled Brian's ear, before giving the earlobe an affectionate nip.

Michael howled from the back, "Knock that off! If you get him started, then he'll pull over and you'll both be going at it, and we'll-"

Emmett jumped in and shouted, "And we'll miss the inn's three o'clock, 'English High Tea'! I will **_not_** miss that, Mr. Brian-I-Don't-Give-A-Fuck Kinney! Oh, oh, _ooooh_! They have a six o'clock 'Cocktails  & Canapés' social hour! Oh Teddy, that's a complete costume change. I don't know if I brought enough outfits!"

Brian pressed down on the accelerator pedal and the SUV surged ahead, nearly doubling their speed in three seconds. All the passengers were thrown back and slammed into the back of their seats. Brian shouted above the roar of the motor, mockingly exuberant. "Holy shit! We don't want to miss any of that, now do we?!"

Michael and Ted shouted at Brian to slow down, and Justin groused through gritted teeth, "I said 'when we check into the inn' – not 'check into a hospital'. Slow down!"

The handsome, auburn-haired driver planted his tongue firmly in his cheek to stop himself from further fueling the building fight. The twinkle in his eyes was the one hint that he thoroughly enjoyed jerking his friends' chain. He would have loved to ask if anyone pissed themselves, but he didn't want to sour Justin's mood.

For a moment, Brian mused on how a business trip to P-Town had turned into a 'fun-filled weekend with Justin and the boys.' He glanced over at Justin… _It's all his fault. I asked him to consider coming, and the next thing I know, everyone was ordering plane tickets._

He flicked his eyes to the rear-view mirror to see what the group in the back seats was doing. They were still grousing and adjusting themselves from being thrown around by his driving. _I will enjoy tormenting them this weekend; it will be fun and will make up for the bullshit that I know they will put me through._

Then, he glanced to his right, to look at his young lover. _But I'm going to be ecstatic when I torture you!_ Brian smiled to himself, imagining the sound of Justin's voice begging for sexual release.

For no apparent reason, Emmet started to sing, "Sweet Caroline." All the men, except for the frowning driver, joined in for the refrain, "Bum, bum, bum."

Brian wasn't immune to the jubilation that his friends were feeling. He let his guard down for a few minutes and quietly joined them in song. Justin's keen eyes caught him mouthing the words, "Good times never seemed so good." The blond poked his auburn-haired lover in the side and flashed a knowing grin at him.

Despite himself, Brian had to smile in return. Those words rang true for him, especially at that very moment. He had his beautiful, blond lover at his side, he was driving an extremely expensive, rental vehicle, and heading for an exclusive guest facility located in the most famous, gay vacation spot on the East Coast.

He glanced back over at his lover, who was turned around in his seat, and was watching the antics of their friends.

 _It has been eight years of 'us'… eight years – fucking unbelievable… from baseball bats to bombs, with a greasy fiddler in between… while living in different cities for the last three years… despite it all, we're still together… Life is good… and a hell of a lot better than the last time I was in P-Town._

The group finished "Sweet Caroline," and Emmett began singing "Oklahoma." Justin settled back into his seat and sang along, while watching the landscape of Cape Cod race by his car window. The sun was high in the clear, vivid blue sky; and thankfully, the air was cooler and lacked the suffocating humidity of Pittsburgh. _It's such a perfect day. I can get used to this…_

Eventually, topography outside the vehicle changed from clumps of wooded areas and bits of small towns to rolling sand dunes and patches of tall, straw grass. Brian called out, "We're about ten minutes out of town."

Brian's announcement sent an adrenalin-charged thrill through his friends. Everyone started to talk, laugh, or joke all at the same time, and no one really cared if anyone else was listening to them. Each person relayed what they planned to do, see, and where they planned to go.

The thing that came to the forefront of Justin's mind was he wanted to kiss and hold hands with Brian, whenever he wanted, wherever in town, without censorship or harassment from hostile homophobes.

 _It's not just a street like Liberty Avenue… or area like in San Francisco… but a whole town, run primarily by gay men and women – where everyone can openly show affection and love… and are free to be themselves… whoever they are. And haters aren't tolerated!_

Justin looped his left arm around his lover's neck, and leaned against Brian's shoulder. He lovingly said, "I can't wait to kiss you in broad daylight, in the middle of town!"

Brian just nodded his head and softly smiled; he completely understood all the subtext of Justin's statement.

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To say that the gang was impressed with their accommodations in P-Town was an understatement.

The Brass Lantern Inn & Spa was a huge, regal, historical-registered, white, gingerbread-trimmed Victorian mansion. Protected by a tall, wrought iron fence, and situated on an immaculately landscaped, ½ acre of land, it stood majestically, drawing the eye of every passer-by.

The inn was rated as the best inn/hotel/bed-and-breakfast in town, and was extremely popular with the discriminating, affluent, gay and lesbian population that visited P-Town. It had a very long waiting list year-round, even though the prices were exorbitant. Comments on various travel websites praised the inn for its Egyptian cotton sheets, superb breakfasts, luxurious toiletries, magical spa treatments, and other wonderful amenities.

Brian had to pull a few strings but he was able to secure rooms for the guys. Unbeknownst to his four friends, he was supplementing the cost of their rooms. He quoted the guys a price that was less than half the cost of the rooms, but he knew that they couldn't comfortably afford the full price, so he was secretly handling the balance due. Only Justin knew the truth and Brian knew the blond would keep his confidence.

Upon their arrival, they were offered refreshments while their luggage was delivered to their rooms. The manager gave them a quick tour of the floral laden grounds and impeccably decorated communal spaces in the house. Though no one would ever admit it, more than one member of the gang was somewhat intimidated by the refinement or their surroundings.

Brian had arranged for special accommodations for Justin and himself. So, when the gang was escorted to their rooms, Brian and Justin were lead in a different direction, away from their friends, to the outdoors. They walked down a tranquil pathway, through an English-style garden, to their final destination – a picturesque, private, Victorian cottage.

Justin's initial thought was that the cottage looked like a Ralph Lauren home décor showcase. The cottage's three rooms were chic and comfortable. The living room was decorated in a montage of oak, leather, plaid, and a touch of chintz; peppered with maritime-themed antiques and souvenirs from the seas. Its primary focus was rugged-but-charming stone fireplace, and on the mantle was mounted a state-of-art flat screen television.

He was completely thrilled when he wandered into the bedroom and saw the king-sized, cherry wood, canopied bed. It conjured up secret, sexual fantasies of being ravished by a certain auburn-haired lothario.

In Brian's mind, the pièce de résistance of the cottage was large bathroom. Decorated with a Mexican, hand-painted tile floor and Teak wood cabinets, it was outfitted with both a double occupancy walk-in shower and a built-for-two Jacuzzi tub. He imagined thoroughly enjoying both with Justin.

Brian walked into the bedroom and caught Justin daydreaming, while staring at the bed. He wrapped his arms around the blond and gently kissed Justin's golden hair. He quietly asked, "What do you think? Does the cottage pass your inspection?"

Justin turned to face his lover. "This is perfection… it's… " Justin bit his lower lip and then released it. Brian watched the color of the plump lip turn from pink to red; which caused his cock to change from being flaccid to being semi-hard. "It's wonderfully… ridiculously romantic and I love it."

Brian pressed his forehead against Justin's, "It's my first time staying at a bed and breakfast, and our first time at bed and breakfast together. I wanted it to be special and this is the best one in town… The last time I was in P-Town, I stayed at a cheap, bed bug ridden motel on the edge of town, with three other guys. I could barely afford my share of the motel bill."

Justin smiled and caressed Brian's face. "Well, now you're back... and one of the most successful, handsome men in town." Justin was surprised when Brian evaded his kiss.

"' _One_ of the most handsome men in town'... damn, Sunshine, that's harsh. What happened to the title you gave me before – 'the most handsome man in town and all around'?"

Justin sadly patted his lover's face and said, "Well, we're not in Pittsburgh." The joking blond broke free from his lover's arms, and backed away, towards the door. He egged Brian on with exaggerated, shocked expressions and gestures. "What? Oh, my! I didn't just say that, did I? Oh, no… I guess you'll have to punish me – if you can catch me." The blond took off running.

Brian growled, "You little shit," and tore out after his partner. He chased Justin into the bathroom, where the game plan instantly changed. The thrill of the chase became the thrill of the touch… they grabbed each other and began to frantically kiss, caress, and strip each other's clothing off. Their desperation was fueled by their continual need to satiate the insatiable hunger that they felt for the other.

The moment that Justin's warm, wet mouth encircled his cock, Brian forgave him everything. Justin made good on his promise to give Brian a spectacular blow job… among other things. The lovers happily and properly christened the shower.

They didn't make it to the 3:00, English High Tea.

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 ** _That evening…_**

Brian and Justin emerged from their love nest at 6:30 PM, dressed for the evening. They joined their friends outside, on the patio by the pool, for "Cocktails and Canapés." Though it was still full daylight, Tiki torches and candles had been lit and were scattered throughout the area, adding a festive feel to the social gathering. Brian went straight for the bar and Justin bee-lined it for the hors d'oeuvres table.

In addition to their four friends, there were five other male couples and two female couples. People were standing or sitting, sipping drinks and chatting amongst themselves. None of the groups intermingled.

Michael greeted his best friend first. "Brian, our room is incredible! It's huge and has a bay window that you can sit in, and a fireplace, and it has its own bathroom! Emmett and Ted's room is kinda like ours and they have their own bathroom, too! How's your room? And where is it, I couldn't find you?"

Brian quietly said, "We're not staying in the main house."

"You're not?! What the fuck! That's not right! We're paying good money to have a nice room, and if they are trying to pull one over on us, then I'm going to tell them-" Michael looked like he was about to reenact a scene from the play, _Les Misérables_ , and storm the main house, demanding Brian's rights.

Brian calmly interrupted Michael. "We're staying in one of the private cottages."

Michael's face slightly unscrewed from its indignation and he asked, "What cottage?"

For some reason, Brian didn't answer, so Justin spoke up, "It's one of four on the property. Ours is down that little path through that clump of trees. You can see the roof from here."

Michael cocked his head, "They stuck you in a cottage? Shit! How many people do you have to share it with?"

Brian and Justin shared a "patience needed" glance, before Brian nonchalantly said, "No, Michael. We have the cottage to ourselves."

Justin's romantic side took hold and the he blurted out, "It's so wonderful… so romantic with a cozy stone fireplace in the living room… and we discovered the hidden, complementary wet bar, actually Brian did – of course! And, it has this gorgeous king-sized canopied bed… and the bathroom! We were in the shower for ages, it's bigger than the one in the loft - and I can't wait to try out the Jacuzzi tub – it's built for two! And…"

Justin looked at the shocked faces of his friends and instantly felt bad about saying anything. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude… it's just sort of came out…"

Ben reassured the young artist with a smile, and said, "Well, I know Brian Kinney would demand the best, and it sounds like you got it. Our rooms are incredible, absolutely amazing, so I definitely don't feel slighted... but… uh… I think we owe you some money. Those rooms are far more expensive than what we paid you-"

Brian quickly cut Ben off, "Nope, you don't owe anything more… I got a deal, a great discount-"

Ted interrupted Brian, "A discount? A place like this doesn't give discounts. I bet they have a six month waiting list of homos who would kill to stay here!"

Brian mentally corrected Ted. _Try a_ _ **fourteen month**_ _wait list. I had to call in favors for this place, but it's worth it. You can thank Justin for this._

What Brian did say aloud was, "I did get a discount. I would have paid a hell of a lot more to make sure that our room was as far away from yours, as possible."

Before Brian's friends could put him in his place, one of the male couples that had been standing off to the side, walked over to the Pittsburg gang. "Hi, I'm Jaime, and this is my boyfriend Bruce." The couple only had eyes for Brian. "You look _so_ familiar."

Brian fixed a quizzical eye on the couple, but didn't bother to respond. Ben stepped up beside Brian and briefly introduced everyone in the gang, but only by name.

Jaime and Bruce politely greeted everyone in the group, but it was very evident that their interest was primarily with Brian. Bruce, the taller one in the couple, confirmed it when he suggestively said, "We've heard soooo much about… you and your club… and the infamous Backroom… We think it's wonderful what you are doing with your foundation… we would love to get a chance to talk with you… spend time with you… my boyfriend and I are _very_ _open_ to making new friends."

Jaime, the shorter man, pointed to Ben and with a hopeful look in his eye, he asked "Is this your partner?"

A sonic boom blasted out from behind Ben. "Heeeeeyyyyyy!" Michael pushed his way through Brian and Ben, and snapped at Bruce, "Fuck off! That's _my_ husband. And _that_ is Brian's boyfriend." He pointed to a red faced Justin.

Before the conversation could go any further, a high-pitched, theatrical voice bellowed out, " ** _Good evening, darlings!"_**

A man, wearing heavy make-up, walked out of the inn and into the patio area. He threw up his arms in the air and struck a poise that would have made Madonna proud. He looked like he was in his late forties, of medium height and weight, but his four inch espadrilles made him much taller. His clothes were dazzling - literally. He wore royal blue silk, silver trimmed lounge pants and a matching tunic. Covering the tunic, was a solid silver, ankle-length, silk sheath coat that fluttered with his every move.

But, the real eye-catcher was his headdress. It was a glittering tower of blue and silver plastic fruit. He looked like a cross between 'I Dream of Jeannie' and Carmen Miranda.

Emmett gushed out, "How fabulous!" Several other male voices joined his, cooing praise and admiration.

"I'm so sorry that I didn't get to greet you all when you arrived. I've been running all day! Oh my goodness, I forgot my manners! My name is Shampagne, and it is spelt with an 'S' not a 'C.' I'm just a shy gal from Brooklyn!" Shampagne laughed at her own joke, and a few of the guests politely joined her.

"I and my husband, Mario, are the owners and your hosts, here at the Brass Lantern Inn and Day Spa. Welcome! Relax, recharge, take a midnight dip in the pool, or order a massage. Mi casa, es su casa! Now, did everyone get a drink? Do we need to replenish the nibbles?" Shampagne didn't wait for anyone to answer him, he moved to the hors d'oeuvres table. The trays of food had hardly been touched. "Oh no, they're fine."

"Now, mix, mingle, enjoy… Oh, oh, wait! Don't move, don't breathe… Where _is_ Mr. Brian Kinney? Theeerrreee you are!" Shampagne dramatically pointed a well manicured hand at a slightly uncomfortable Brian.

"Now, boys and girls... this prime piece of hot, man meat is _the_ Mr. Brian Kinney, owner of the number one, top advertising firm in Pittsburgh, and the proprietor of the infamous club, 'Babylon.' Now tomorrow night, you must make your way to the Rose and Thorn Dance Club, it's all the way at the other end of town, at 9:00 - sharp! Because, Mr. Kinney and the charity organization that he created, the 'King of Clubs Foundation,' will be presenting a _very_ sizable check to the 'Lambda Legal Defense and Educational Fund.'

Lambda is responsible for taking California's Proposition 8 to the Supreme Court, and suing various states for discrimination against homosexuals… rights of gays in the military… fighting for our right to marry, to adopt children… survivor rights… and our right to… oh, my…" Shampagne had been counting on her fingers each legal action that Lambda had or was spearheaded, but had to stop when she became overwhelmed with emotion.

Legitimate tears threatened to streak her perfectly applied face. "I just," Shampagne fanned her hands in front of hers eyes, trying to unsuccessfully dry the tears, "… get so emotional… when I think what we, as a community, have been through, and are still going through… even my Mario and I… "

Emmett hurried over to his new idol and offered Shampagne paper napkins and comfort. Another man joined Emmett, and together they helped Shampagne dry her tears before they streaked her face. After a minute, the hostess was able to emotionally regroup, and with Emmett providing a supporting arm, she continued on.

"I beg your pardon, mon petit chou chou… Well… I'm all better now… alrighty then - ladies and gentlemen, _please_ join me in showing our love and appreciation to Mr. Brian Kinney."

Shampagne gave Brian a very regal diva-clap: she held her arms straight out in front of her and clapped with only the palms of her hands. It looked like she was trying to not disturb freshly painted finger nails. All of her guests politely joined her in clapping, albeit non-diva style, and even if some of them didn't exactly feel 'the love.'

When the clapping died down, all eyes were on Brian, waiting for him to say something. The hero of the moment nodded his head a couple of times, and then took a swig of his beer. After a couple of seconds of just staring back at the crowd, Brian said… "It's a good size check."… and… that was it. No 'thank you' or attempts at false humility.

The gracious hostess' face slightly twitched, it was obvious that she had expected something a little more formal… or at least a complete sentence. But, she rebounded quickly with an, "Alrighty then! Thank you Brian, and much love." Shampagne blew him a two-handed, air kiss and went on to share a few bits of news and describe other events that were happening in town over the weekend.

"… So, if you have any questions or need reservations, Carlos or Ruben will be very happy to help. Now, my darlings, I have to dash off. My husband, my Mario, my life – by the way, he owns 'El Pescado,' the Spanish, seafood restaurant over on Commerce; it's ideal for romantic dinners or any gathering of loved ones. Anyhooo, he has a commitment ceremony reception tonight, and he is a _marvelous_ chef and restaurateur, but can't decorate or event-coordinate _to save his life_. So, I'm off to save his life! Bonne nuit, mes enfants!"

Shampagne cheek-kissed Emmett and the other man that had come to his aid, then left in a cloud of billowing blue and silver silk. Most of her guests clapped their appreciation and thanks.

Jaime and Bruce immediately hit on Brian again, with Bruce insipidly oozing, "Well, where were we? I believe we-"

Brian stopped them cold with, "Fuck off." When they started to protest, Michael harangued them, forcing them to walk away. "You heard him, get the fuck outta here! 'Fuck off' means 'fuck off!' What are you looking at? I know you've been told to beat it, before!"

Justin curled a possessive arm around Brian's waist and insipidly called after them. "So nice to meet you, I'm sure we'll see you around." He casually held out a clenched fist to Michael, who just as casually bumped it with his fist.

An expressionless Brian watched the bonding gesture between the two men. Through the years, his partner and best friend had become quite close, but that was after years of being rivals for his affection. He was very grateful for the change, though for one brief moment in time, he did feel a little jealous of the bond... because he had been afraid it was more…

He slowly turned his head and shared a knowing look with Ben. Both men wisely chose to remain silent.

Ted, however, did not. He wise-cracked, "Nice boys, real nice… it's lovely seeing Zephyr and J.T. working together to take down the interlopers… and that was a particularly moving speech, Brian… I will remember those words forever."

Brian cracked back, "Here's two more for you – 'you're fired.'"

Justin interrupted Brian's 6,532th attempt to fire Ted. "Come on Ted, give him a break. He has PCDH - 'post-coital, dead-head.' And we 'coitaled' a lot in the last several hours." Justin protectively hugged Brian close and rested his head on the taller man's chest. Brian patiently stood still; he was quite used to being Justin's pillow, leaning post, or whatever. Secretly, he was quite happy with the bodily contact and the possessiveness that it implied.

"Post coital, dead-head" (PCDH) was a term that Justin invented while observing the behavior of Brian – and most men - coming out of Babylon's infamous Backroom. The brain and motor functions were always muddled for awhile, until the blood fully returned to the brain. It could go on for up to an hour. Since Brian had ejaculated at four times in last two hours, Justin was surprised that he was talking at all.

Their friends knowingly sniggered and said "Ooohhh," in unison. They all understood, since they each had personally experienced PCDH, to some extent.

Emmett brusquely grabbed everyone's attention. "Okay boys, we need to get going for our dinner reservations! If we leave now, we can do a little shopping along the way! Let's go, boys! Let's go! Let's go! Come on, move your tush, Teddy!" Emmett rapidly clapped his hands and bounced around like an overgrown, high school cheerleader, rooting his friends on as they all made their exit from the eventful "Cocktails and Canapés" little fete.

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	2. Chapter 2

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Same day, Friday, as Chapter 1, but in the evening.

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 **Chapter 2:**

 ** _Friday evening - fifteen minutes after the "_** ** _Cocktails and Canapés" gathering, at the inn…_**

After 7:00 PM, Commerce Street, the hilly, main street of Provincetown, changed from being a street to being a promenade. No cars were allowed and it rapidly became populated with men and women, who were out and about for dinner, shopping, or getting an early start on bar hopping.

The feeling in the air was one of jubilation and celebration. The sound level wavered up and down, with a laugh or shout flaring above the pitch. The music of Cher, Gloria Gayner, Patti Labelle, and other gay icons spilled out of the various shops, restaurants, and bars that lined both sides of the street.

The gang from Pittsburgh walked down the middle of the street together, enjoying the sights and sounds of the town. In the moving, weaving crowd that surrounded them, the casually dressed mixed with the elaborately costumed. Almost on every corner were drag queens or female impersonators, handing out flyers or verbally hawking their show or musical review.

Justin was an artistic sponge, absorbing and memorizing all that he saw, felt, and smelled. The sun had started its slow descent into the horizon, casting long shadows. He caught glimpses of the deep blue, sparkling sea behind the rows of shops and houses on his left. The air was breezy, aromatic with hints of honeysuckle, and almost salty to the taste. It felt so fresh and crisp – so unlike the hot, humid, muggy air in New York and Pittsburgh. Sea gulls fly over head and called to each other. Every moment was an inspiration to him, and his hands clenched and unfurled with the anticipation of re-creating all that he saw.

Without warning, Emmett grabbed Justin and whisked him into a tiny, three room, one-story house that had been converted into a shop, and sold vintage clothing.

"Honeycutt, what the fuck!" Brian yelled after Emmett, but was ignored. He was forced to follow them into the shop.

The rooms of the shop were very small and crammed full of clothing hanging from everywhere. It was a jungle made of clothing - clothing racks were pushed close together, which made it difficult to walk around; garments hung down from the ceiling, and the walls held wooden shelves that sagged with the weight of stacked clothing.

Brian felt a pinch of panic at the nape of his neck when he entered the shop. At first glance, he couldn't see either Justin or Emmett; it was as if the clothes had swallowed them up. He heard their voices and moved in that direction.

" _Justin?_ I swear Emmett, when I get my hands on you-"

"Oh, Brian… You get so pushy… We still have time before our dinner reservations. We need to shop now, before all the good pickings are gone by tomorrow morning! " Emmett's voice drifted to him, muffled by the clothing jungle.

"What the fuck… _Emmett_! This place is giving me hives. Justin?! Stop moving around so I can find you. Jesus fucking Christ – what is this shit? It's filthy – there's dust all over it. Don't touch ANYTHING, Justin! This shit may have deadly diseases living on it!"

Justin came out from behind a pair of orange, Capri pants that was hanging from the ceiling. "Look Brian, don't you think Debbie would like this?" The blond held up a knee-length tee shirt, and on its front was an actual picture of a curvaceous, bikini clad, female body. If someone put it on, it would give the illusion – at least for a moment - that it was the wearer's actual body.

In a low, firm voice, Brian directed Justin to "Put it down! Fucking Honeycutt! If you want to shop, there are plenty of other shops up and down this fucking street, with _clean_ clothes in them! Look at this shit." Brian had pulled down the hanging orange, Capri pants, inspected it, and said, "Look! This is _polyester_!" He made a disgusted face and flung it to the side.

Emmett's muffled voice could barely be heard. "Stop calling me, Honeycutt."

Brian then grabbed the tee shirt away from Justin, and read the label. "What the fuck!" He held the garment's label up for Justin to see. "Recycled materials! Do you know what that is? That is a road ridden, toxic, smelly truck tire that you just touched, Sunshine! Let's get out of here before we become contaminated with something."

He grabbed a laughing Justin by the wrist and hauled him out of the store.

Upon exiting the store, they were nearly run over by five men on roller skates. Each man on wheels wore a baby-doll style, short dress and a big, bouffant wig. Their unique appearance was highlighted by the fact that each one was individually dressed and bewigged in just one color of the rainbow.

The guy in all purple grabbed Justin's free arm and tried to pull him along, calling out, "Come play with us!"

An alarmed Brian yelled out, "Hey!" then pulled a shocked Justin back into his arms and pushed the skater not too gently away. "He's not yours!"

The purple man called back, "Selfish!" and continued down the street.

Instead of cursing a wild streak, Brian snickered and then laughed out loud. He looked around at all the sights, and then down at his beautiful partner and smiled broadly. The absurdity of the moment had grabbed him. He had vowed 15 years ago that he would come back to P-Town as a success and hopefully with a nice piece of eye candy standing at his side.

 _Well, done and done. But I didn't realize that I would have to pull the eye candy out of a clothing trash bin and save him from being whisked away by a roller derby reject… but I'd do it all again… the last 15 years… and before… as long as it meant that you and I would end up right here, at this moment, together like this…_

In the Kinney style, instead of saying the words, Brian decided to show his partner his feelings. He surprised Justin when he wrapped his arms around the younger man's waist, and picked him up so that they were eye-to-eye. Brian then laid a soft, deep, sensual kiss on his lover. When they both drifted back to awareness, Brian said, "You wanted me to kiss you in the center of town and in broad daylight… we're almost in the center of town and its broad daylight..." He cocked an eyebrow and waited for an answer.

Justin's eyes were still a little unfocused and a crooked, goofy smile had spread across his face. He was so giddy from the kiss, that all he could manage to say was, "More." Brian was happy to oblige.

Michael and Ted shouted simultaneously: "Knock it off, you're holding us up!" and "Can't you keep your hands off of each other for five minutes?" respectively. Neither lover paid them any mind. However, Brian did give them the finger, but he never broke contact with Justin's mouth.

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 ** _Thirty minutes later…_**

The six friends had built up a nice appetite from weaving through the crowds and shop-hopping. They eagerly filed into the "Lobster Pot," one of the oldest restaurants in P-Town. Brian stated that it was a favorite of the locals, and in his opinion, that was the best recommendation that the restaurant could have.

They were escorted to a table in the back dining room, which overlooked the town's harbor. This was their first, real good look at the ocean and all the men exclaimed with wonderment and appreciation.

The gang enjoyed a seafood feast, ordering practically every kind of crustacean and mollusk on the menu. After everyone had overindulged, belts had to be loosened, and chairs were pushed back from the table. The gang moaned and groaned and berated themselves and each other for being gluttons. As they relaxed and let their food settle, they joked and teased each other, and reminisced over good times from the past.

Then, the gang decided to discuss their plans for the rest of the weekend… And like all families, their discussion had moments of guff and strife.

Justin was in charge of the agenda, and he relayed the information with the intensity of a general talking to his troops. "Okay! Here's what I planned. Tonight, after dinner, do some more shopping and then just relax, because tomorrow is a big day… Brian, stop fidgeting, we'll go to some of _your_ kind of stores, too. Okay, now tomorrow, we spend the morning on the beach or by the pool-"

Brian curtly interrupted his partner. "The beaches in this area are for shell hunting, not swimming unless you have a wet suit. It's freezing-ass, cock shrinking cold out there in that water. I plan to keep my dick in working class order, so I'm going to frolic in the inn's heated pool… when I'm not in hot tub… or rolling off of Justin."

The gang reacted as expected. Ben waited for the insults to subside and then urged the youngest of the group to continue. "Please go on, Justin. Though I'm sure Brian knows the plans, but I don't and I want to hear them."

Justin pacified Brian with a quick kiss to his cheek and then continued. "Okay, so tomorrow, pool or beach in the morning and then at ten-thirty, we are going whale watching! The company is affiliated with the University of Boston's marine biology program-"

Emmett scrunched up his face in confusion. "Whale watching? But, we're not lesbians."

Ted quickly reprimanded Emmett with an exasperated, " _Em!_ " Ben was equally unhappy with Emmett. It perturbed him that the man would be so offhandedly rude to Justin, and to lesbians. He folded his arms and pursed his lips, which spoke volumes.

However, it was Brian's behavior that rubbed salt in the wound. Emmett's statement triggered a laughing jag in the executive. He enjoyed himself, laughing at his lover's expense, until he unwisely took a drink of his beer. Immediately, he choked and sprayed the beer all over his place-setting.

Justin had been giving Brian the stink eye, but begrudgingly came to the aid of his partner. He thumped on Brian's back, helping him clear his air way.

The sting of Emmett's inadvertent insult had hurt the blond and it showed on his face. "Em… you guys… you don't have to do any of this…"

Ben couldn't stand watching Justin's self esteem take a nose dive, so he came to his rescue. The professor always came to the aid of the underdog… but, seeing a sad face on that particular blond never sat well with him. He glared at Emmett and Brian, before he addressed Justin with heartfelt support.

"I think it's an exciting idea, Justin! I've always wanted to go whale watching and this a perfect time of year, because they are migrating south… They are following instinctual patterns that were biologically established through a million years of evolution... I'm not sure if you all are aware of this, but the blue whale, the world's largest mammal, was hunted into near extinction by the turn of the twentieth century. And now, almost every type of whale in the sea is on the endangered species list. We could possible see at least… oh, maybe four or five types of whale in this area… maybe more… There's the humpback whale, the sperm whale, the minke whale… um… what is it… damn, I can't remember all of the names of the types; I'll have to look them up. This an incredible and rare opportunity-"

"Jesus Christ, Justin! I'll go… but only if you make the professor stop torturing us with his lecture and have him wave down for the waiter. I can do with another beer… my last one didn't go down so well." Brian chuckled to himself, enjoying his own pun.

Ben good-heartedly threw his arms up in the air, "Lecture over, you drive a hard bargain, Brian… Waiter?" Ben flagged down the waiter and Brian ordered another round of beverages for everyone, and a dessert named, "Death by Chocolate," for Justin.

While they waited for the waiter to return with their order, Emmett attempted to win his way back into Justin's good graces. That took all of 2 seconds; Justin loved Emmett like an older brother and forgave the older man's slight as soon as he began to talk.

"Justin, sweetie… I really wasn't trying to mean… It came out wrong. Since lesbians like animals… and I thought-"

"Em… enough with the animals… lesbians… whales… whatever, leave it alone." Ted had to interrupt Emmett, he was afraid that his friend was going down the same slippery slope, again.

However, Emmett didn't appreciate his help. He loudly sucked his teeth and stared down his friend. " _Ted-dy_ , I don't need your help... Justin understands me perfectly. Now, baby, finish telling us about what's on your agenda. I'm sure it's divine."

"Um… okay… well… After the whale watching… we can do lunch, shop… take nap, or whatever. Our dinner reservations are at 7:30 tomorrow night, at the Rose and Thorn Restaurant; it's in the hotel and separate from the dance club that Shampagne mentioned. Then, at 9:00, we have the presentation in the dance club… Now, on Sunday - we sleep in and have brunch at the inn, and then drive over to Truro, that last little town that we passed by, and visit the winery there. They supposedly have very good, summer fruit wines. Then afterwards, we do whatever – it's our last night, so everyone does whatever strikes their fancy… you guys should do whatever you want to do this weekend… I just thought that it would be fun to try some new things… but, don't feel obligated…"

Ted perked up, because something that Justin suggested really had struck his fancy. "Winery? Did you say winery? Really? Okay! Now that's something that I'd really like to do. I've always been interest-"

A concerned Emmett interrupted his friend, "Justin, it all sounds wonderful, every little bit… But, Teddy, you can't go to a winery, because…. You know…" He waggled his head from side-to-side, alluding to Ted's addiction problem. "And Ben can't go either, because you know." Again, he waggled his head, this time referring to Ben's HIV status.

But to Justin, he said, "It'll be fabulous! The boys have health issues, so no-go on Sunday for them. But, don't you worry; I'm going to go to look at fish with you tomorrow and then we'll go to that winery together on Sunday! It sounds so very chic and sophisticated – wine tasting... We'll be socialites, out for the day, enjoying the fresh, country air, while sipping on our chardonnay."

Brian crossed his legs and flounced his hand out at Emmett. Then, with a lisp, he quipped, " _Girl_ , I can't wait! We'll wear wide-brim hats and lots of pearls!" Emmett, who had forgotten about Brian, couldn't think of a witty or rude enough comeback, so he stuck his tongue out at the entrepreneur. Brian responded with a dry, "Never happening…"

Ted patiently waited for the two men to finish their bitch-off, before he corrected Emmett. "Wine was not my poison… I don't drink liquor… because _it_ was a trigger. But wine never has been a problem, and you know that, Emmett. I… I have a glass, once in awhile… Plus, with wine tasting, you don't drink as much as sip and spit. And, it's not so much the wine, as the wine making that I'm interested in. I've always wanted to take a wine tour and see how they make it… Thanks, Justin. You're helping me check off a bucket list item."

An edgy Ben added his retort to Ted's with, "Excuse me, Emmett, but I _can_ and _do_ drink wine, in moderation. I am quite capable of managing my health issues all by myself… but thank you for your concern… I've been to wineries, but not for some time. I look forward to it, Justin. I'm in."

Emmett had become visibly upset; he felt everything he said had been misconstrued. "Why is everyone kicking my donkey tonight? All of my good intentions have gotten twisted-"

Michael, who had been suspiciously quiet, spoke out. "I get sea sick and I can't drink wine unless it has ice in it."

The gang looked at him for several long moments, and then all began talking at one time, except for Brian, who laughed above the fray. Eventually, Michael was convinced that solutions were available to all of his problems.

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Thank you so much for reading. Your comments are very appreciated

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	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

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The gang goes whale watching. The thing jumping from the water in the postcard banner is a whale. More explained in the chapter. Many events depicted in the chapter actually happened. I hope you enjoy it!

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 ** _Postnote -_** ** _Thank you so much for reading. The ratio of comments to people reading is so low for the writers - so, all comments are valued and welcomed. The support is sincerely appreciated!_**

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 ** _Saturday, late morning…_**

"No!"

"Come on, hold still…"

"Noooo! Stop it, Brian, I said no!"

"Come on, Sunshine, stop moving around... If you'd stop arguing with me, we could've been done by now."

"Brian, I am 25 years old and perfectly capable of putting on sunscreen by myself!" Again, Justin dodged Brian's attempt to rub lotion on his face.

"Last time you were supposed to apply it, you missed half of your face and neck and you got sun poisoning. I'll be damned if I've going to listen to you whine that stupid phrase, 'itchies and bloaties,' all weekend… And that rash was real attractive…"

Whenever they were reunited after being apart for awhile, with Brian in Pittsburgh and Justin in New York City, both men's feelings and emotions were always heightened for awhile. At the worst of it, Justin was more possessive and Brian was more controlling; both men did their best to accommodate or ignore these traits, whenever possible. However, Justin couldn't ignore Brian's behavior at that moment, because he found it highly embarrassing.

"What's the matter, Wonder Boy, you need Rage's help with your make-up?" Michael and Ben had joined them, after buying water at the ship's snack bar.

Normally, Justin would have ignored Michael's little, asinine dig. But, at that particular moment, he felt like an embarrassed, defiant 10 year old child and he reacted that way.

"Well, at least I don't need a booster seat to reach the breakfast table."

Michael's momentary confusion was quickly replaced by indignation. "I sometimes have to use the blow-up, donut thing when I sit because I bruised my cockle… lis…is-"

Ben quietly corrected him, "Coccyx."

Michael, "Coccyx… and it hurt this morning. And I don't need help reaching anything," It didn't take much to bring out the ten year old in Michael also, "because I'm not short… well… I'm… I'm taller than _you_!"

"Bullllllshiiiiit! You're 5'7' and I'm 5'8'!"

"Like _hell_ you are!"

"Hey lady!" Brian spoke directly to Ben and deliberately addressed the professor incorrectly. "Do you mind getting your shih tzu away from my poodle? Don't you see that there's a dog fight building here?"

Justin and Michael turned shocked faces in his direction, and then began yapping insults at him. Brian spoke above their voices and told Ben to "Take him somewhere else; there's plenty of room in the dog park!" Brian waved Ben and Michael away.

Ben was struggling to keep his composure. His mouth twisted and contorted, and any passer-by may have quickly guessed that he was holding back a burst of anger. However, what he was holding back was a burst of howling laughter. He knew that if he let it rip, his husband would make his life a living hell. Wordlessly, he wrapped an arm around Michael and towed him towards the doors that lead to the outer deck of the ship.

Michael could be heard complaining as he was taken away. "Well he started it… I did not… it was a joke! You're taking his side… yes, you are…"

Brian flashed Justin a shit eating grin, and tried to carry on like nothing had happened. When he reached to apply lotion to Justin's face, the younger man playfully growled back at him, but there was a certain flicker in Justin's eye that made Brian pull back. He decided to try a different tactic; he cautiously draped his arm around Justin's neck and then very subtly pushed his dick against Justin's stomach. "Would doggie like a bone… or, if doggie has a boner…"

Justin scoffed and pushed the older man away. "There are children on this ship and there's no privacy in the restroom. No way… you're such a pain in the ass, sometimes… Oh, fuck it - hurry up and get it over with!"

Brian quickly applied lotion to Justin's face and other exposed areas. He tried to placate Justin with little kisses and compliments. It worked.

Afterwards, they decided to explore the ship, which was motoring out to open sea, in search of whales.

The ship, the _Donna Lynn,_ was a 120 feet, deep sea, explorer ship, built thick and tough to withstand the strong winds and rough seas that were prevalent in the area. The vessel smelt of fresh paint and aging seafood – luckily, the fishy smell was very faint. The hull and everything topside was painted a military grey, except for the large band of neon, orange paint that wrapped completely around the entire ship, just below the railing. This band allowed it to be seen more easily, when sailing through thick fog.

A huge, passenger cabin dominated the deck and stretched from stem to stern. It had large windows that made up the top half of the outer cabin walls, making it possible to see the ocean from almost every angle. Located in the passenger cabin was a snack bar that sold souvenirs, snacks, disposable cameras, and camera paraphernalia. Small restrooms were next to the snack bar, and long rows of bolted-down benches faced it. The benches provided the passengers a place to rest, when they wanted to escape the sea winds on deck.

After listening to the life jacket safety instructions provided by a crew member, the passengers were free to walk around the ship, including climbing up the steep stairs to the upper deck that was located on top of the cabin. The view was spectacular from most areas on the ship, but even more so from the upper deck.

Michael commented that it was a little sad that the ship wasn't full of passengers. The ship, for that cruise, was filled to a little less than half capacity - approximately 100 people. Ben said that it was actually a good thing for them; because they wouldn't have to fight a huge crowd to catch a photo opportunity.

At times, the captain would make announcements through the ship's sound system, pointing out various aquatic life or unique landmarks on shore.

Justin had given Michael a transdermal, Scopolamine medicine patch to wear behind his ear and a homeopathic, wrist pressure band - which together would help stave off sea sickness. The blond wore both, as well, since he too was prone to sea sickness. The combined efforts of both preventatives seemed to work, because neither man ever had a moment of queasiness.

Justin also told the gang that if anyone started to feel sick, they should stay out on deck and keep their eye on the horizon. It helped the inner ear stabilize, thereby helping to reduce the cause of motion sickness. Brian and Ben both made mental notes to keep their partner/husband out on deck as much as possible.

The ship cruised at a speed that allowed the passengers to walk around comfortably. Emmett and Ted stayed inside the cabin, out of the wind. They said they would come out when there was something to actually see.

Michael, Ben, Justin and Brian stayed out on deck. At times, the two couples mingled – but only after Justin and Michael made amends by affectionately calling each other, "Jerk" and "Jackass," respectively. But mostly, the couples sought their own space.

Justin was particularly happy with that portion of the trip; when he became chilled by the winds, he was able to seek warmth in Brian's arms, without any complaints from the older man. But had he asked Brian, he would have been told that his lover had no qualms with sheltering Justin... he welcomed any opportunity to hold his Sunshine.

After they had been motoring out to sea for about twenty minutes, the loud speaker came on and the captain announced that they were going to pick up speed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we found what you came to see. In the words of the old sea captains of yore – _'There'd be whales!'_ "

Unexpectedly, all the passengers let out a collective shout of joy, which was followed by a smattering of self-conscious laughter. The two Pittsburgh couples had reconnected at that moment, and Zen Ben shared, "That was a beautiful, soul bonding moment – the whole ship responding together! At least I know I'm not the only one looking forward to seeing the whales." Michael and Justin wholeheartedly agreed with the professor, Brian just rolled his eyes.

The captain instructed the passengers to get their cameras ready and move to the 'starboard' side of the ship. He helped everyone along with, "Stand looking in the direction of the flag, which is the front of the ship – it's called the 'bow.' Remember, you bow to the 'bow.' Now, everyone, stick out your right arm straight out to your side. That's the right side of the boat, called the 'starboard'. The left side of the boat is called 'port'– it has 4 letters like the word 'left.' And the back of the ship is the stern. I'll let you make up your own reminder for that… the person with the best reminder for 'stern' will win a prize… all the sea water you can carry!" The captain could be heard laughing as he turned off his mike. His sense of humor put a smile on many faces.

A small boy yelled out, "Big fishes are jumping behind the boat!" Just as fast as the young child said it, the captain came on and announced that a small pod of bottlenose dolphins were having some fun. They were following close behind the ship, jumping over the waves that were created from the surge of the ships' hull, as it cut through the sea. People quickly moved to the back of the ship, amazed and laughing, while taking pictures.

There was a 5 minute break before the captain's next announcement. "We think we've found a mother minke whale and her calf on our sonar. She's been charted in these waters before. She's nicknamed 'Mona' and her calf is called 'Squirt.' When we reach her vicinity, we'll cut speed and troll along with her, as close as possible. But, we have to keep a reasonable distance, we don't want to spook her or upset the calf. Don't worry, you'll be able to see her just fine... when we reach her, she'll be on our starboard side… just don't everyone run over there at one time, or the ship will tip over… JUST JOKING… wanted to make sure you were awake!"

Brian laughed out loud at the captain's wiseass joke and then at the fear on the faces of some of the passengers. Some others joined him, thinking the joke was funny, while the majority of the passengers just groaned off their frustration. A few irritated passengers could be heard quibbling; stating that they thought the captain's joke went too far.

After another 5 minutes, though it felt like an hour, the captain came back on the speaker and said the boat was coming up on the mother and calf. People moved to the starboard side and strained to see the whales, though many didn't know what to expect.

A woman yelled, "I see them! Good lord – that's a whale!" Children squealed and all the passengers held their breath, trying to see what the woman had seen.

Off in the distance, about 60 feet out, a black, large lump surfaced and in a rolling motion, moved forward for a short distance, and then rolled back down into the water. It was part of the head and upper back of Mona, the minke whale. The next time Mona surfaced, a dark grey, small lump appeared at her side and in tandem, followed her back down into the water. That was Squirt, the calf, diving beside its mama.

Passengers were talking excitedly, and cameras were clicking, but there was an air of expectancy, a need for something more to happen… The moving lumps just didn't completely provide the "wow" that the passengers had expected.

Then, it happened… The top of Mona's head rose out of the water, much higher than her earlier appearance, and more of her back followed… then - she blew water out of her blow hole! She sprayed water way up high and way out wide. Within seconds, Squirt followed mama's example, and blew out its own blow hole full of water.

The passengers shouted, laughed, and clapped with joy… and there was even a few tears. That moment brought it home for everyone – the lumps in the water were whales – real, live whales - swimming in the ocean… as their species had been doing for millions of years.

The ship drew closer to the whales and the captain began sharing some facts about Mona and Squirt. She was a minke whale, about mid-size for the whale world. She was as large as a school bus and weighed about as much, and the calf was the size of a small SUV. The lump that showed was only about ¼ of her length. Minke's don't "breach their flukes," meaning they don't thrust their tails, called flukes, out of the water before taking a dive, like most whales. The flukes were as unique and distinctive as finger prints. His crew had been able to catch sight of her fluke, and they verified that it was indeed, Mona.

Soon, the ship was only about 40 feet from Mona, and her incredible size was far more visible as she glided below the water's surface.

People were practically hanging over the sides of the ship, trying to capture every moment of Mona and Squirt on film. Justin took a break from whale watching to watch his lover and friends. Brian, Ben, and Michael were snapping away like paparazzi stalking a celebrity. Emmett and Ted were taking their experience at a slower pace; they were content to watch the whales swim and only took the occasional photo. All of them were completely enthralled and as excited as school children.

Brian looked like a professional photographer, as he deftly switched lenses, and reset his camera settings in a blink of an eye. Lust surged through Justin's loins, when he saw how the sunlight caught the copper highlights in Brian's hair and the wind plastered his clothing against his lean, muscled body. He looked more handsome than a model in any advertisement. Justin took a picture of Brian in that moment, so that he could paint him later.

Mona began to swim faster, and her increase in speed was noticeable. Other behavior changes began to rapidly occur. First, she spent more time under water. Then, during one of her dives, she moved her calf to her opposite side, away from the boat. Finally, what really caught everyone's attention was the appearance of her tail. She brought it out of the water and scooped it towards the boat, causing a two foot wave to rush over and crash against the ship. The impact wasn't felt, but the intent was. She continued to swing her tail and slap it against the water.

Within minutes of her behavior change, the captain came back on the speaker with some good news and bad news. "Bad news first, folks. We've got to say good day to Mona and her baby. She's showing some signs of stress and we are backing off… Before we get to the good news – are you having a great day of whale watching? Let me hear you!"

Many passengers yelled out at the top of their lungs, and others shouted various things, but the cumulative effect was a resounding "yes."

"Okay, then! You just earned yourself a bucket full of good news! Folks, we are heading for a kind of celebrity in these here seas. He's a big, son-of-a-gun… a young, bachelor humpback whale… Let me tell you folks, you are having a heck of a lucky day… not only did you see the rare sight of a mama and her calf… but now you're going to see the third largest type of whale in the sea… did I mention he was big? This boy is the size of a double-rigged, 18 wheeler truck and weighs just as much… Okay, we're heading for the big show… go do what you gotta do, you've got 10 minutes!"

People realized that this was their chance to use the facilities, get a drink, or whatever and they took it seriously and rushed to the restrooms or the snack bar. Other folks decided that they needed to sit down and rest after standing for so long.

The gang gathered together in a corner of the cabin and shared pictures and talked about their personal experiences of capturing the images of the creatures on film. Then, they broke up in teams, some going for drinks for everyone, others went to buy more digital memory cards for their camera, and Justin and Emmett headed for the restroom.

While Brian and Ben were standing in the non-food line at the snack bar, hoping to buy bigger memory cards for theirs digital cameras, a group of four, young women approached them. "Are you Brian Kinney?" When Brian nodded his head, the women quickly asked if they could get their picture taken with him. They said that they felt honored to meet the creator of the King of Clubs Foundation.

Brian wordlessly held his arms out and all the women hurried into them. Ben agreed to take the picture, and once done, the women left just as quickly as they had arrived. That was the third time that people had approached Brian since he had arrived in P-Town. Brian just wished he could see whatever advertisement had been used, he joked to Ben that he hoped that they had at least used one professionally taken head shot.

"You're becoming famous."

Brian replied, "Hardly." Then he smirked, but it wasn't a full-power-Kinney-special. He was used to being a known in Pittsburgh, so being recognized in P-Town really wasn't that big of a deal. However, he really wanted the foundation to be the center of attention, not himself.

The gang had re-grouped, right before the first mate came on the speaker and gave everyone a three minute warning. The humpback male had been spotted… and apparently, it had spotted the ship. "He's heading our way. He ain't normal, folks… he likes ships. We think he's looking for a mate… Stand by."

The gang exchanged curious looks and joked with other passengers… did the first mate imply that a horny whale was heading for their ship, looking for some afternoon delight? Brian demanded that the whale buy them all a drink, first.

The guys headed for the upper deck; Brian and Ben had decided it would be the best vantage point for pictures. They both wished they could have been on the upper deck when they were taking pictures of Mona, it would have been easier to see her.

"We've got him in our sights, folks. You're in for a treat. Get them cameras ready." Most passengers heeded the captain's warning and came out on deck, or climbed to the upper deck.

Brian was focusing his camera, with it aimed out to sea, when a shout went out from the lower deck. Loud and clear, a man yelled out, **_"HOLY SHIT!"_**

About sixty feet from the ship, a humongous thing leapt out of the water. It looked like it a submarine for a moment – with a long, dark gray and white, oval body. It flew straight up and high into the air; though it did not come completely out of the water. It seemed to be as tall, if not taller, than the height of the ship's upper deck. Then, it fell backwards and slammed down against the surface of the water, causing a huge splash of waves, before it slipped back into the depths of the sea.

The entire ship was shocked into silence… and were motionless… everyone… for several long moments… then, just as if a bubble burst, all the passengers realized what had just happened – and the crowd roared! Half of the crowd literally jumped for joy, yelling at the top of their lungs, while others shouted out words of astonishment and praise for the whale. A few people screamed out in actual fear, and more than a dozen yelled out in grief, because they had missed the shot… however, a certain handsome, auburn-haired man did not…

He grinned from ear to ear – he was the only one that had captured the incredible moment… Brian simply said, "Got it." That became the phrase that the gang used for the rest of the cruise, when they caught an exceptional moment on film.

"Folks, I think you're in for some… 'extreme whale watching.' He's frisky today."

Sweet Mona and Squirt had turned out to be just the warm up act; the humpback had become the main attraction.

The humpback 'breached' again – jumped out of the water - and people frantically tried to capture every second. Then, he began to breach his tail during his dives – he dove, head first into the water and flipped his tail up and out of the water and held it in the air for a few seconds before he slipped completely under the water. It was the iconic moment that many had waited for, the picture of the whale's tail.

Ben processed the moment verbally, sharing with the group that the symbol of the whale's tail had taken on many meanings for many societies. But, no matter what significance humans placed upon it, the whale's tail represented the existence of the gentlest and largest mammal on the face of the Earth, and that humans should do everything possible to ensure their survival. The gang all solemnly nodded in agreement, including Brian.

Then, the humpback decided he wanted a closer look. He dove under and remained under for almost several minutes. When he re-surfaced, he came up swimming parallel with the vessel. Though he was about twenty feet from the ship, it seemed like he was right next to it… Everyone, all over the boat, felt chills and thrills… and a last a moment of terror… because he was almost as long as the ship.

Despite the sense of fear and danger, cameras started clicking like Morse Code. On the upper deck, very few people spoke. However, one man tried to joke away the tension. He quoted a sentence from the movie, _Jaws_. "I think we need a bigger boat…" It would have been funnier if his voice hadn't wavered when he said it… and if people didn't secretly believe it.

Brian caught Justin's eye and smiled at him. He then strode over to him and gave him a quick, but deep kiss. It was Brian's way of saying "thank you." He had just experienced a high that no drug had ever given him… not that he did drugs as often as he once did… He loved every minute of their adventure on the high seas, and he owed it all to his partner. After another, wordless kiss, Brian returned to capturing the beautiful sea beast on film.

The humpback continued to entertain the ship's passengers for another 30 straight minutes,triple the time that Mona patiently endured their intrusion. People quickly got over their fear of the mammal, because they became obsessed with trying to capture every moment of his antics.

By the time that the captain headed back to P-Town harbor, everyone on board was exhausted. The humpback whale had put on quite a show and nearly every passenger strained some body part trying to keep up with his magnificent performance.

"Oh… folks, I forgot to tell you the nickname of that humpback whale… We call him, 'Sonny Boy.'"

Brian and Justin shared surprised grins and then indulged themselves in a deep, loving kiss.

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The gang was exhausted, and it showed, as they slugged their way up from the harbor to Commerce Street. None of them could agree on what they wanted to eat for lunch or where they wanted to go afterwards. They amicably agreed to go their separate ways, and then catch up with each other after lunch, either while shopping or back at the inn. Ben and Michael headed for a vegan restaurant that Ben wanted to try, Emmett and Ted went in search of whatever caught their fancy at first sight, and Brian and Justin went in search of the best lobster roll in town.

Brian pulled a tired Justin along Commerce for a couple of blocks, while he promised the blond that they were heading for the best sandwich shop in town. He swore that the blond would not be disappointment with his lobster roll.

He turned onto a side street and headed into a small, 1920's Art-Deco-ish looking take-out sandwich shop, called "Pop's Eat Good." Justin giggled at the name and cracked a couple of lame jokes; eventually Brian quieted him with a soft kiss.

While they waited their turn in a small line, they noticed a teenager standing off to the side, in front of the deli counter, counting a handful of coins. The kid looked hungry, thin, and his clothes were well worn, as was his backpack. Justin moved to give him some money, but Brian pulled him back and shook his head. He kissed the blond's head and whispered, "Wait, I want to see something."

There were two men behind the long glass counter, one much taller than the other, and from their body language and open affection for one another, it was obvious they were a couple… if not, then the shop had a very affectionate working environment.

The dark haired, shorter man, who wore a name-tag with "Joey" written on it, took orders and packed them up, adding chips and drinks. The other man, who was taller, had a shaved head, and a build equal to Ben's musculature, wore a nametag that read, "Johan." He made the sandwiches and handled the short – order cooking.

Johan plopped 2 wrapped up sandwiches by the register, then went back to making another sandwich. Joey bagged the 2 sandwiches and handed them over to a waiting customer, all the while taking a new customer's order. The departing customer made a big show of dropping money in the tip jar, located next to the cash register. Joey responded with a hearty, "Thanks, Bobbie!"

Then, it was Brian's and Justin's turn and Joey greeted them with, "What can I get cha?"

Brian ordered 2 lobster rolls, chips, and soda for Justin, and an Italian cold cut and a bottle of water for himself.

Justin and Brian watched Johan grab Joey's attention with a slight touch to the arm; then he ever so slightly nodded in the direction of the teen; the kid was digging through his backpack, apparently looking for more money. Joey nodded his head.

Johan walked down to the end of the counter and quietly called the teenager over to him. Johan had a noticeable Slavic accent. "Hey kid - you hungry? I got sandwich here, I make one too many. You want?"

The teenager looked cautiously optimistic, but there was also fear in his face. "Sure… um… are… are you giving it to me? For free? I got money… I do, I just gotta find-"

"Yeah-yeah, just take it or we throw it out… but that's a sin. Don't make me sin." Without a smile or any facial expression at all, he handed over a paper sack, stuffed with the sandwich and several bags of chips. Then, he handed the kid a bottle of water. "We always have stuff left over at breakfast… come back if hungry."

The kid hesitantly nodded, quietly thanked the tall man, then asked, "Um… why?" Johan could be heard saying, "You hear of 'pay it forward'?" The kid nodded in response. "Someday, you pay it forward." Then teen-ager tucked his head down and then high-tailed it out of shop, half afraid that the tall man would change his mind and want the food back.

Justin was so touched by what he had witnessed, and he turned to share his feelings with Brian, but stopped himself when he saw his lover's face. Brian eye's had a far-away look, as if he was remembering something. Then, Justin knew… Brian had been that kid 15 years ago, when he was first came to P-Town.

Brian and Justin were told their order was ready. When paying, Brian asked Joey, "Is Pop still around?"

"You mean my dad? Nah… he's retired… but he comes in now and then. Mostly takes care of the grandkids and grows his tomatoes… You know him?"

"Yeah, we met about fifteen years ago. Glad to hear he's still going strong."

"Oh yeah, Pop is still going good."

Before they left, Brian discreetly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bundle of folder money and slipped it into the tip jar. Only Justin saw him do it.

As they walked away from the shop, Joey came jogging out of the shop, calling for Brian. "Hey, buddy… mister… hey… I don't think you wanted to leave this." He held up the folded bundle of cash that Brian had dropped in the tip jar. "The top bill is a $100 bill. I don't know what else is in with it, but I'm sure you didn't realize that a c-note got slipped in there." He chuckled and held it out to Brian, who didn't take it.

"It's no mistake… just tell Pop… someone is paying it forward. Use it for sandwiches that you give away."

As Brian walked away, holding onto Justin's hand, he momentarily stopped and turned back to the silent shop owner. "I left my card in with the money… it's got my office number on it… You guys need some advertizing advice… it'll be pro bono… give me a call in a couple of weeks… I want to see this shop in business for a long time."

Once they were back on Commerce Street, Justin pulled Brian over to the side, and pushed him gently against a building. He grabbed Brian and kissed him, surprising the older man with the intensity of the kiss.

Then he pulled away and said, "I love you, Brian. So much."

Brian was experiencing feelings that were too raw for him to deal with, so he decided to change the mood of the moment, with joking. "Your blood sugar must be low, Sunshine. You almost chewed my face off. We better eat right away, before you start chewing on other body parts."

Justin snorted then playfully bit Brian's jaw.

Despite his attempt at levity, the Brian still felt too vulnerable. He placed his forehead on Justin's and whispered, "You'll keep my secret, right? This doesn't-"

Just leaned into Brian and softly said, "I keep all your secrets… I love you, Brian… always will… even if you are a control freak."

Brian looked deep into Justin's eyes and whispered, "Love you, too, Sunshine... Let's eat… There's a small park a block away, I think it's still there… and it used to have some benches. Let's go and get some food in you."

After their lunch, Justin pulled Brian back into the wooded area that lined the park. He dropped to his knees, opened his lover's pants and captured Brian's cock in his hand, and then with his mouth. He showed Brian just how much his lover meant to him, as he loving sucked, licked, and caressed his partner until his partner experienced a spectacular climax.

When Brian reciprocated, Justin had to blissfully admit to himself, that the only thing better than giving Brian Kinney a blow job, was receiving one from him.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

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 ** _Saturday evening, at the Rose and Thorn Hotel…_**

"Wow… guys, you should see what's going on out there. There are a couple of news vans there now, with satellite dishes on top! I don't think Brian knew it was going to get this big."

After whale watching and lunch, the gang had re-grouped and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon together, while they shopped and explored the hidden secrets of P-Town. They enjoyed themselves a little too much and lost track of time. They had to rush back to the inn to shower, shave, and change for their dinner reservations, and the big night ahead.

At the restaurant, in the Rose and Thorn Hotel, they were given special seating out on the large, dining room balcony. The gorgeous sunset provided a wonderful backdrop to their dinner.

They dined on traditional dishes that had a Thai influence, enjoying seafood, steaks, and lamb chops… and they took their time… not so much to savor their meals… but, because they were tired… really tired… the majority of them joked about the correlation between their exhaustion and having an agenda planner who was a decade younger than them… but they readily admitted to Justin that they were having a wonderful weekend.

After dinner, Brian and Ted left the group to meet with the sponsors and other participants in the evening's event. Justin, Emmett, and Ben languished over their coffee and dessert and Michael decided to stretch his legs and sneak over to the dance club. He was dying to find out what was going on.

The Rose and Thorn Hotel was formerly a four-story, Georgian style summer home for a wealthy family, built on the beach of a small cove, at the far end of Provincetown. When the home was sold, it was transformed into a hotel and restaurant by the second owners, and the dance club was added on to the hotel, by the third set of owners. The dance club was a separate one-story building, but connected to the hotel, via a covered, pillared breezeway. The club was also designed in the Georgian style, to compliment the hotel.

Previously, when the gang had arrived for dinner, they had noticed that there were some trucks and service vans parked at the dance club. It was nothing alarming and Brian had expected a ceremony of sorts, but he didn't want anything big or elaborate.

Michael investigated the dance club with the stealth of a secret agent. He excitedly reported his findings to the remainder of the group, who were still sitting on the balcony, drinking coffee and enjoying the summer evening.

"We should have driven by the club's entrance so you guys could see – they've got a red carpet! It kind of reminds me of our benefit… that night at Babylon… with the bomb, and all. There's a lot of security, though. Ted said Brian was going to pay out of his own pocket, if he had to… and oh yeah! In the entrance hall part of the club, there's this huge display and Brian's picture is smack in the middle of it… and it's big… it's sooo big, you can't miss it… wow – it's really something. We should go over, now. The club is starting to fill up with people."

His friends and husband roused themselves and followed Michael over to the club.

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 ** _The Rose and Thorn Dance club, 1 hour later…_**

The dance club was a huge hall that could be partitioned off into smaller rooms, but was completely opened and packed to the brim with men and women. There were easily four hundred or more people in the giant room. Located at one side of the room, was a temporary stage, on which all the dignitaries and speakers stood.

Brian was part of the group on the stage. He politely listened to all of the speakers, and to all observers, he looked as cool as a cucumber. He naturally drew attention to himself, without trying. Many glanced or blatantly stared at him, and some secretly imagined spending time alone with the handsome and impeccably dressed entrepreneur. No one could guess that he was not in the best of moods.

Brian was dressed all in black, with linen trousers and a black raw, silk, short-sleeved shirt, and though he was well dressed, he was a little miffed with his attire. He would have dressed more formally if he had known that there would be news cameras and reporters. He was pissed at Royce and Ken, the owners of the dance club and hotel, for not mentioning that the press had been invited. He had expected the P-Town newspaper and LGBT tabloids, but not regional and possibly national news.

 _And all of this damn fanfare…_

He had wanted to just send Lambda the damn check and be done with it.

 _But, oooh no… once you get queens involved, you can forget it - everything has got to be a 'production'… Royce_ _ **really**_ _down played this little event… jackass… had I been told that news cameras would be here, I would have absolutely worn a suit… well, at least I'm wearing Armani… where's Justin… okay, there he is… good, he's standing in between the professor and Em…_

There had already been a half an hour of speeches, starting with the Rose and Thorn's owners, and they were followed by a streaming, conveyor-belt full of other speakers. Another fifteen minutes went by, while representatives from the Lambda Legal Defense and Educational Fund took the podium. Each one of the four reps had something to say about the success of various states legalizing gay marriage, and the legitimizing of gays in the military. Finally, the Mayor of Provincetown, the last speaker, took the helm and made his speech, and then finally introduced Brian.

"… and there you have it. A remarkable man… I give you, the imcomparable - Mr. Brian Kinney!"

Applause greeted Brian, as he walked to the podium and grabbed the wireless microphone off of its stand. He moved to the center of the stage. "Thank you, Mayor Gillespie. I wish I was half as wonderful as your speech implied." The audience politely laughed in response, but they were jittery, after being made to stand through over an hour of dull speeches.

"As you have heard, from all of these fine people… the King of Clubs Foundation is made up of concerned citizens… gay and lesbian bar and club owners… who have combined their forces and finances… with the goal of generating funds to support many causes that affect the LGBT community. The cumulative apex – the end result of the fund is to legitimatize LGBT rights in the United States."

Brian spoke directly to the crowd, while he slowly walked to the edge of the stage. All eyes and ears were glued to his every movement.

"I tell people that the foundation was started with a bang… literally… three years ago, my club, Babylon, in Pittsburg, on a night like this… for an occasion such as this… was blown up – bombed - by anti-gay… haters… and I almost lost my best friend, and the majority of my family." Brian gave the crowd a moment to process what he just said.

He watched the expressions on the many faces in the audience; he knew they were imagining what that night had been like… and what it would be like, if it happened at that very moment. Along with the gasps and angered mumblings, many faces filled with fear.

"Well, that's what I tell people, but actually the seed of the foundation began to develop three years before that, when my partner… he's that beautiful blond standing against the wall… who is trying to hide behind the man in the purple and pink striped shirt…" The gang was standing to the right of the stage, against the wall, and as Brian stated, Justin was trying to hide behind Emmett.

Brian smiled and stared at him for a few moments. Then, his voice lowered, as he recalled Justin's bashing. "Some… shiiii… very disturbed young man… bashed him in the head with a baseball bat… it was his prom night… I almost lost him that night… and he was at the club, too, the night the club blew up."

Shouts of shocked protest were joined with more gasps and grumblings, as necks craned to look at Justin.

"So… what I want to do, with your help… is take the LGBT community… off the endangered species list… and that includes all the people… including straight people… that love and support us, because they are being injured and killed as they stand beside us, in support… and to do this, we have to establish our rights as a community… Which means that the guy that almost killed my partner… he would've had to serve jail time – which he did not… And, the FBI and ATF would've become involved in investigation of the bomb attack on my club and other lethal assaults against our community – which they did not… and still… do not…

I want to see changes in the laws, so that atrocities committed against our community are called _crimes_ – not a 'hate' crime, which apparently can be contested or diminished, with many of the perpetrators just getting a slap on the wrist – but a _crime_ , a true crime, no limitations - tried to the fullest extent of the law!

And I don't want the religion of others dictating what happens in my bedroom. Because, this country was built with the stipulation that church and state would remain separate.

What we want is very simple… we are taxpaying, law abiding citizens, who are being denied our rights of **'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!'"**

The intensity of the crowd had been building and then it exploded with Brian's final words. There was hooting, hollering, shout-outs, whistles, and thunderous applause – that went on for well over a minute.

Brian looked over at his family and he saw tears in a couple of eyes, but the look of pride on every face.

Brian signaled the audience to calm down, by slowly fanning his out-stretched arms up and down. Once the crowd settled, he continued.

"Now then… on a more serious note…" He waited for the laugh he knew would come, and as it died down, he continued. "Representatives from the Lambda Legal Defense and Educational Fund… I want you to know… that these fine men and women… here in this hall and others across America… danced their asses off and drank until they dropped… so that I could hand you… this big piece of cardboard."

He pointed to the large, cardboard, fake check that sat on an easel, on the left side of the stage. It was covered by a satin, red cloth.

The crowd riled up again; they laughed, whistled, and clapped, congratulating themselves and enjoying Brian's sense of humor. The speakers and dignitaries had no choice but to laugh along with them.

Brian signaled and two men came out on stage, picked up the easel and moved it center stage. Brian and the Lambda representatives flanked the check and with a flourish, Brian undraped the check. The representatives gasped or grabbed their own faces in disbelief. One of the representatives shouted out to the crowd, "… it's a million dollars… actually, one million and two hundred thousand dollars, to be exact!"

Cameras and cell phones flashed, reporters talked into recorders, and the news cameras churned – all documenting the moment on stage. Brian looked over to his family and mouthed Justin's name.

When J.T. joined him on stage, Rage gave him a long, deep, loving kiss, which was captured by the news cameras and played throughout the country… and re-played, over, and over, and over again…

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 ** _Sunday, a little past noon…_**

Sunday brunch was served on the inn's veranda, near the pool, and though it was a beautiful morning, and the food was delicious and bountiful, it was a quiet affair… only because Emmett told everyone to stop talking so loudly… even though they weren't… and he told them to stop chewing so loudly… and to stop moving around so much… and so on…

Emmett was hung over – extremely hung over. He sat with as much dignity as he could muster, draped in a fuchsia muumuu, and hidden behind huge sunglasses, while he sipped on ginger ale and coffee.

Ben had become Ted's physical fitness mentor, so they awoke early and went jogging together and then did yoga in one of the small gardens on the grounds. They sat in their running shorts and sweaty tank tops, re-hydrating with coconut water and packing in the protein from the buffet. Neither one of them had indulged in any alcohol at the event the night before, but neither had gotten very much sleep. Their dedication to their health routine had started to backfire on them. As the endorphins wore off, they felt the effects of sleep deprivation, and they seem to slightly melt in their seats.

Michael was hung over, too, but he wasn't hurting like Emmett. He was alert, and was speaking, but everything he did and said was in slow motion…it took him almost 5 minutes to eat a strip of bacon.

Justin was in the same damage range as Michael, but he wasn't speaking. He silently went back for second and third helpings from the buffet, and just as silently shoveled the food into his mouth… and ignored his beloved friend Emmett, who kept telling him to chew quietly.

Brian arrived fashionably late to brunch and he looked like he had just walked off of a multi-million dollar yacht. His tan was perfect, his hair was flawless, he wore the latest Gucci aviator sunglasses, and there wasn't a single wrinkle showing on his Dolce and Gabbana resort wear ensemble of cream colored linen, tie-waist trousers and sleeveless shirt. He did not appear hung over at all… not one bit… his friends didn't really feel admiration for him, as much as annoyance.

The night before, Brian had enjoyed his fair share of liquor, had danced some, and spent a good amount of time schmoozing the press and dignitaries. He even dragged Justin out into the parking lot for a quickie in the SUV. He and Justin finally left the club at 1:00 AM and then spent some crazy-hot time in the Jacuzzi tub, before they passed out on the king-sized bed. But, none of the wear and tear showed on the man, he looked immaculate and well-rested.

Brian did not do buffets, so he flagged down one of the staff and ordered coffee, tomato juice, dried toast, and an egg white omelet - all which was brought to him without a quibble. Mr. Kinney assessed the motley conditions of his family, while he swiped bacon and fried potatoes off of Justin's plate. Even though Brian saw misery and suffering all around him, he was not willing to make any concessions.

"So, when are we leaving for the winery?"

Emmett flung a packet of sugar at him.

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 ** _Truro Winery, a couple of hours later…_**

"… So, what did Blake say?" Justin kept his voice down, and he looked around to see if Ted was nearby, but luckily, he wasn't.

Emmett and he continued to sniff their way through a small display of candles in the winery's gift shop. Supposedly, the candles were somehow made from wine.

Emmett checked the price tag on the bottom of a candle shaped like a bunch of grapes. "Ted got a text from Blake this morning. Blake said he had finished moving all of his things out of Ted's apartment."

"Oh my god! It's a wonder that Ted isn't… well, he's taking it rather well." Justin's sniffed a pineapple and chardonnay scented candle and instantly regretted it. He quickly put it back on the glass shelf.

"He's being brave… I think that he believes that Blake will come back, that little Blakey just needs time… and, I think that's why he's trying to beef up like Ben… maybe it will help him recapture Blake's attention… my poor Teddy… I just pray that this doesn't rock his sobriety… of course, there's that new accountant that he just hired… a brunette twink, with blond highlights… maybe that's why he's not so upset… hmmmm."

Justin didn't know what to say, so he changed the subject. "Are you still seeing that Kevin guy?"

"Oh, no! Sweetie, he was just a name on my dance card. Nothing more… I have to concentrate on my business right now. I just rented that warehouse space and bought all of that food service equipment… this girl is going big time! And, yes, it is courtesy of a loan from the Bank of Brian Kinney… I mean – Kinney Enterprises. I don't understand how all of that works, he now owns a company that owns Kinnetic? Is that right?"

Justin smirked and said, "Something like that… but don't worry, we're all beholden to the Bank of Brian Kinney."

Emmett chuckled, "Yes, I guess we all are, aren't we? I noticed that you and Brian don't trick with others, when you're together. It's been like that for awhile, hasn't it? My oh my, last night's speech… and not tricking out of respect to you, when you're together… dare I say it… is Mr. Kinney finally growing up?"

"No, we don't trick when we're together. It just sort of… happened… we may do random threesomes or foursomes, but… and when we're apart, well, whatever… I don't think it's a matter of maturity per se… I think Brian is finally being 'Brian.' He's lowering some walls and trusting… he's no Dr. Phil, though… and never will be!" The two friends snickered together, enjoying their private moment of friendship.

A minute later, Brian walked up to them and addressed Emmett. "Honeycutt, did you just buy that case of wine by the front counter?"

"Stop calling me Honeycutt! How many times do I have to tell you… oh, dammit, now my head is hurting again! Thank you, Mr. Bull-In-A… winery shop… Yes! I bought the case, why do you ask?"

"How are you getting it home?"

"Well, I'm going to carry it… I'll pack it in… oh… oh, shit… what am I going to do? Why didn't I think of that before I bought all that wine?!" Emmett began to panic when he realized that there was absolutely no way that he could carry a whole case of wine onto the plane. He looked helplessly at Brian.

"I'll have them ship it to Babylon; you can pick it up there. And you," Brian walked up to his partner and gently pinned him against a display case of hand-blown wine glasses, "– I'm not helping you with those 2 carry boxes of wine you bought. Go pick out some more wine and we'll ship a case home." He gave Justin a quick peck on the nose and walked away.

Emmett joked, "Rage to the rescue… again…" He nervously chewed on his bottom lip and looked at Justin, "Oh lord… now how am I going to get all of that other stuff that I bought, home? I bought clothes, and those rainbow-colored, glass serving pieces… and those favor boxes for that wedding next month, and…"

Justin blankly looked back at his friend and wondered what time the post office opened in the morning.

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 ** _Sunday night…_**

The gang decided to go to dinner together, on their last night in P-Town. They made reservations at 'El Pescado,' the restaurant that Shampagne and her husband owned, and they weren't disappointed.

The gang was treated like sultans and the food was superb. Afterwards, the three couples split up and went their separate ways. Michael and Ben walked back to the inn, which was only an easy 5 minute stroll. Ted and Emmett decided to catch a comedy show that they saw advertised at one of the bars, and Brian and Justin dropped them off, on their way to a secret destination, whose location was only known to Brian.

Brian pulled the SUV into a secluded, tiny parking lot, by the beach. After they disembarked, he took Justin's hand and led him out to the beach. They both removed their shoes, and Justin patiently waited while Brian rolled up his pant legs. Justin wore Bermuda shorts, his signature look for the summer. Brian again took Justin's hand and walked down along the edge of the water.

"You do know that we are walking on the beach, in the moonlight… and holding hands, right? You're not going to combust or something, are you?"

Brian shook his head at his lover, and there was a sparkle of mischief in his eye. "Is that how you see it? Poor Sunshine… We are walking on sand, and I'm holding your hand in case you lose your balance… and it is night time… Perception, Sunshine… it's all about perception."

"Ahhh, I see, silly me."

"Yep… still trying, even after all this time… still pushing for the mushy stuff… huh, Sunshine?"

Justin pulled away from Brian and scampered into the surf. But, after only three steps into the water, he yelped and quickly retreated to dry land. "Damn, you weren't kidding – it's cooold!"

"Well, it's a burden, being right all the time… but you've always been the type to try things for yourself… haven't you, Sonny Boy?"

"Oh don't get all philosophical on me… I'm onto you, don't forget that." He scrambled back to Brian's side and jumped up so that he could kiss Brian on the lips. After he got his kiss, he took hold of Brian's hand, and with his free hand he held up and examined the necklace that he wore. Brian had given it to him before dinner. It was a solid gold Mariner's chain, with a charm hanging from it – a whale's tail.

"I love this… how did you know I looked at this in that shop, you weren't with me?"

"Rage has his ways…"

Justin had a few gifts, mere trinkets, for Brian back at the inn. He hadn't planned on giving them to him until they got back to Pittsburgh. The blond felt a tad anxious about his gifts for Brian, they didn't match the quality or price tag amount of the necklace.

Brian pulled Justin over to a large chunk of driftwood, formerly a large limb from a cypress tree. They sat silently for awhile, huddled together, with Brian sheltering Justin from the chilling breeze.

Brian tipped Justin's head back so that he could look into the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen, and talk to the man who was the owner of his heart.

"Hey… we've been together eight years… why don't we go another eight years… and at the end of those eight years, we will make a point of coming back here… and to this beach or somewhere in town… and we will state… if we want to continue for another eight years together… and so on… and so on… what do you think?"

Justin caressed the face of his lover and beamed one of his signature, sunshine smiles. "Well… I think… yes… that is a very good idea, **_but_** we have to seal the deal with a kiss… but with tongue – so that this moment is not ridiculously romantic, just sexual… and then we can ignore the fact that we're sitting on the beach, in the moonlight, and are kissing… Okay?"

Brian brushed his lips over Justin's. "Do not think of this as romantic, it's just… necessary…" He licked Justin's lips and then captured the blond's lips with his own. He luxuriated in the taste of his partner's mouth. Their tongues met, explored, and caressed each other. When they finally pulled apart, they looked deeply into each other's eyes.

"That… that definitely was 'necessary,' Mr. Kinney."

"You're completely correct, Mr. Taylor."

"Would you mind, 'necessary-ing' me, again?"

"It would be my pleasure, Mr. Taylor."

And they sat on the beach, kissing in the moonlight… because it was necessary… not just ridiculously romantic…

FIN

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 ** _Comments mean everything. Please be kind and leave a comment. It would be very appreciated._**

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